Safety razor



Patented Oct. 6, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 14 Claims.

The invention relates generally to safety razors and more particularly to razors of the type illustrated and described in my Patent Nos. 1,760,496, issued May 27, 1930, and 1,890,647, issued Decemher 13, 1932.

A general object of the invention is to provide an improved razor of this type having a novel and compact arrangement of operating parts capable of being easily and economically produced, assembled, and adjusted whereby an eiiiciently operating device may be manufactured for sale at a relatively low cost.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved power driven safety razor employing the double-edge type of blade and embodying a novel arrangement of operating parts to produce a high speed, efficient operating movement.

A further object is to provide in a power driven safety razor a novel governor device for controlling the operating speed of the device.

Still another object is to produce a novel means for supporting the blade, for guiding the movements thereof, and for adjusting it for operation.

Further objects, more specifically stated, reside in the provision of a novel and simplified means for mounting the power transmitting parts in the device, for securing said parts against displacement, for lubricating said parts, and for delivering the driving power to the blade.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following description and from the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an axial sectional view through a 35 device embodying the features of the invention v and is taken as indicated by the line Il in Fig. 6.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the device with the casing partially in axial section, said device being viewed at right angles to the line of section in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a blade and the driving and guiding means therefor.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a plan view or the head of the razor.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 1. I

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, I have shown in the drawing and will herein describe in detail the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understood that I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

More particularly describing the structure of the device which has been selected to illustrate the invention, I0 designates a tubular casing to one end of which is fixed a head ll having a blade supporting bed l2 thereon. A blade l3 may be mounted on said bed for movement relative thereto and is held in place by a cap or cover element M. The other end of the casing carries a handle, generally designated at l5, adapted for rotational movement relative to the casing. The handle is preferably bi-sectional comprising a cup-shaped end section l6 and a tubular inner section I! fashioned, as at l8, for screw-threaded union. The inner section I1 is restricted to provide a portion IS, the tubular outer end of which is adapted to abut against the end of the casing in, in which position the outer surfaces of the casing i0 and restricted portion I9 are substantially flush or continuous. A locking member 20, having screw-threaded engagement, as at 2 I, with the inner surface of the casing l0, extends within and beyond the restricted portion Not the inner section ll and has an outwardly extending ancasing l0 and the flange 22 on the locking member 20.

Within the handle I5 is a source of power such as a coil spring motor 24. This spring is preferably. enclosed, or at least partly so, by a sleeve 25 having an inturned projection 26 thereon engaging the outer end of the spring. An annular rib 21 .on the sleeve is bindingly engaged between a shoulder 28, formed on the end section l6, and the end of inner section ll. Thus, the outer end of the spring is secured to the handle for winding the spring in the rotation of the handle relative to the casing. The inner end of the spring is drivingly connected to a main drive shaft 29 by pins 30 and 3|. This shaft, at one end, is journaled in a bearing 32 provided in the end wall 33 of the end section l6. Preferably, a sleeve 34 is interposed between the shaft 29 and the inner end of the spring 24.

One end of the sleeve 25 extends beyond the side of the spring and has aninturned flange 35 thereon which, when the parts are assembled, lies substantially adjacent to the flange 22 on the locking member 20. The flange 35 is fashioned to provide a series of internal, radially facing ratchet teeth 36 (see Fig. 4). A pawl 31 is mounted for movement about a pivot 38 which is stationary with respect to the locking member 20 and in this embodiment serves another purpose to be presently described. The pawl is urged. as by a spring 39 toward the ratchet teeth 35 and is so arranged that it permits movement of the handle |5 relative to the casing l0 only in a spring winding direction.

The driven movement of the shaft 29 is transmitted to a blade actuating mechanism carried by the head. The preferred form of power transmitting mechanism involves a train of gears, generally indicated at 40 (Figs. 1 and 2), intermediate the shaft 29 and a blade actuating shaft 4| by which the relatively slow rotation of the shaft 29 may be increased to a high speed of rotation of the shaft 4|. An understanding of the relationship of the various gears in the train will be facilitated if the manner of mounting the gears in the casing i0 is first described. Thus, bearing plates 42 and 43 are maintained in spaced relation by an interposed partially cylindrical spacer 44 formed of somewhat resilient material and having opposed lugs 45 (see Figs. 1 and 2) which are engageable in receiving notches or recesses provided in the peripheries of the plates 42 and 43. The resiliency of the spacer 44 maintains the parts in substantially rigid assembly, which assembly may be more permanently established if desired in any suitable manner.

The head II, which is hollow, is preferably screw-threaded, as at 46, into the end of the casing |0, thereby forming a shoulder 41 which is utilized as a positioning abutment engageable by one of the bearing plates, in this instance the plate 42, when the parts are assembled. The other bearing plate 43 is engaged to prevent displacement of the bearing plate assembly by an elongated cup-shaped clamping member 48. The clamping member 48 has its base 49 disposed for engagement by an inturned flange 5|) on the locking member 20 whereby the screw-threaded engagement of the locking member 20 and tubular casing l0 may be utilized to effect a firm engagement between the clamping member 48 and the plate 43 to lock the bearing plate assembly in the casing.

The lugs 45 on the spacer 44 may engage notches in the clamping member 48 to prevent relative rotational movement therebetween. The clamping member .48 is secured against rotation relative to the locking member 20 by means of the pivot 38 which extends through any one of a series of apertures 5| (Fig. 4) into screw-threaded engagement with the base 49 of the clamping member.- It will be evident that the foregoing arrangement is exceedingly simple and facilitates a quick and accurate assembly and adjustment of the parts.

Now considering the relationship of the several gears comprising the gear train, the numerals 52, 53, and 54 designate shafts which extend between and are journaled in the bearing plates 42 and 43 in substantial parallelism with each other and with the axis of the casing III. The preferred location of these shafts is shown in Fig. 4. The inner end of the shaft 29 is- .iournaled in plate 43-and near its inner end carries an internal gear '55. For convenience in manufacture and assembly, the mounting of the gear 55 preferably comprises a cup-shaped member 55 which is rigidly fixed through a hub 51 to the shaft 25 and has a rabbeted groove 58 on its inner surface to receive the gear 55. A flanged-clip 59 encircles the cup-shaped member with the flange overlying the outer face of the gear 55 to secure it rigidly in place. The gear 55 engages a pinion 60 (Figs. 1 and 2) which is rigidly fixed to an end of the shaft 54 extending through and beyond the bearing plate 43 (Fig. 2).- Between the plates 42 and 43, the shaft 54 has a gear 6| fixed thereto and engaging a pinion 62 rotatably mounted on the shaft 53. The pinion 52 is rigid with a gear 63 which in turn meshes with a pinion 64 carried by and rotatable relative to the shaft 54. A gear 65 is rigid with the pinion 64 and drivingly engages a pinion 66 mounted on and rotatable relative to the shaft 53. A gear 61 rigid with the pinion 66 is in mesh with a pinion 68 (Fig. 1) fixed on the shaft 52. Movable with the pinion 68 is a. gear 69 meshing with a gear 10 which is carried by the end of a shaft 1| journaled in and extending through the bearing plate 42.

The shaft 1| extends into the head H in axial alinement with the blade actuating shaft 4|. A suitable driving connection is provided between the shafts 4| and 1| and the preferred connection shown herein comprises bushings l2 mounted on the adjacent ends of the shafts 4| and H and connected by a coiled spring 13 connected with and extending between both bushings. This connection is flexible to decrease the necessity for an exceedingly accurate alinement of the shafts 4| and 1|, it facilitates assembly inasmuch as the spring may be easily connected with one or the bushings, and then caused to slip over the other bushing as the head I is assembled on the casing, and it serves in some measure to absorb the shock which might otherwise be transmitted to the mechanism should the driven movement of the blade suddenly be arrested.

The shaft 4|, which is journaled in an enlarged portion of the head II to provide an elongated bearing therefor, extends a short distance above the plane surface of the bed I2 and this end has a blade driving cam 14 rigidly fixed thereto. The arrangement is preferably such that the driving cam is located in the center of the bed l2 and the shape of the cam may best be seen in Figs. 3 and 5. The blade |3 has a central aperture 15 (Fig. 3) which receives the cam 14 when the blade is positioned on the bed I2. The cam, as herein illustrated, has five peripheral points 14, each of which successively engages one and then the other of two cam surfaces 15 on the blade. The cam surfaces 16 extend into the aperture 15, which otherwise is of sufficient size to clear the driving cam 14, and the high points of the cam surfaces 16 are preferably disposed on the central, longitudinal line of the blade. Preferably, the peripheral points l4 on the driving cam are rounded to produce a smooth, even, reciprocatory movement of the blade as the projections come first into engagement with one and then the other of the cam surfaces I6. It is desirable to provide a recess in the outer surface of the bed I 2 such as a longitudinal groove i2 (Fig. 2) so that the driving cam 14 may extend on either side of the blade engaging surface on the'bed l2 whereby a central portionof the peripheral width of the driving cam engages the blade. 1

The cover element l4 comprises an elongated plate of substantially the same length and of less width than the corresponding dimensions of the blade l3 (see Fig. 5). Usually, the upper surface of the plate will be arcuate across the width thereof. The plate may be detachably secured to the bed in any suitable manner as by means of a resilient strip 11 extending longitudinally across the upper surface of the plate l4 and secured thereto, as at 18, said strip being inturned at its ends and having offset portions 19 engageable in recesses 80 formed in the ends of the bed. A central aperture 8| in the cover element i4 receives the driving cam 14. Suitable means is provided for maintaining a spaced relationship between the bed and the cover element l4 whereby to provide a properly dimensioned blade receiving gap therebetween. Such means in this instance comprises a pin 82 (see Figs. 2 and mounted on each of the four corners of the bed I2 for engagement by the cover element l4. The blade, as may be seen in Figs. 3 and 5, is recessed, as at 88, to clear the pins 82.

The guiding means for the blade comprises spaced members preferably carried by the bed for engagement with the blade and these members in the present embodiment not only guide the blade in its movements but serve also to adjust the position of the blade between the bed and the cover element. Thus, guide studs 84 have screw-threaded engagement with the bed and are located near either end thereof and preferably on the central longitudinal line. Each stud has a frusto-conical head 85 projecting above the surface of the bed l2 and receivable in apertures 86 in the cover element E4. The blade has narrow slots 81 -(Fig. 3) at either end thereof which are preferably formed in longitudinal alinement with the high points of the cam surfaces I6. The slots 81 receive and are engaged by the frusto-conical heads 85 on the guide studs. The studs have means such as finger pieces 88 (Fig. 1) thereon for facilitating axial adjustment of the heads 85 relative to the blade to produce a smooth running engagement therebetween. In addition, the tapered surfaces on the heads will, in the adjustment of the studs, move the blade outwardly away from the bed [2 toward the cover element l4. As may be noted in Fig. 2, the cover element I4 is centrally and longitudinally cut away, as at M Hence, the outward movement of the central portion of the blade under the force exerted thereon by the conical heads 85 will adjust the blade to vary the cutting ac tion thereof on the beard. Moreover, the conical heads also tend to hold the blade against the cover element 14 so that tipping or tilting of the blade as the blade engages the face or beard is positively prevented.

The governing means by which the driven speed of the shaft 4| is controlled comprises a simple mechanism which may be readily assembled in the device and easily adjusted for proper operation. Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 6, the shaft H within the head H supports a relatively rotatable sleeve 89 which carries a governor plate 90, herein having the form of a fiat disk. The disk is of slightly less diameter than the internal diameter of the head and the disk at diametrically opposed points has pivot pins 9i fixed thereon in pivotal support of centrifugal weights 92. Stops 93 limit the radially inward swing of each weight 92 and the weights are re-- to the other and thus holds the weights in a balanced condition. An intermediate portion of the spring is arcuately formed as at 95 (Fig. 6)

for engagement with a disk 98 which is eccentrically mounted on the sleeve 89 for rotational adjustment relative thereto. To facilitate this movement of the eccentric disk 96, the disk is split. Hence, after the parts have been assembled the tension or force exerted on the weights by the common spring 94 may be adjusted by rotatably varying the position of the eccentric disk 96 with respect to the arcuate portion 95 of the spring.

The tension of the spring is of course the force which must be overcome before the weights 92 can swing radially outward as the disk 90 rotates. When the disk 90 is driven at or above a certain predetermined speed, the weights 92 swing radially outward to bring wearing nibs 91, preferably formed of leather or other suitable friction material, into frictional wiping engagement 4 with the adjacent wall of the head II, the friction of which engagement is suflicient to retard the driven speed of the disk 98 and maintain such speed at or below a predetermined rate.

It is preferred that the governor disk 90 be driven from the gear train since a more accurate and semitive governing action can be produced if the governor mechanism is driven at a higher rate of speed than the cam I4 and if the speed reducing effect of the governing mechanism is transmitted to the gear train. To this end, the shaft 52 (Fig. 1) extends through the bearing plate 42 into the head and there supports a pinion 98 for rotational movement relative to said shaft. A gear 99 fixed on the shaft H within the head drivingly meshes with the pinion 98. A gear Mill fixed to the pinion 98 engages a pinion Hll which is rigid with the sleeve 89, thereby completing the drive for the governor disk 98.

In the operation of the device, the operator rotates the handle i5 relative to the casing ill to place the spring 24 under tension. This tension, being delivered to the main drive shaft 29, rotates said shaft and through the agency of the interposed gear train drives the shaft 4| and cam 14 at a greatly increased rate of speed. The cam, through its engagement with the cam surfaces 16 on the blade, produces an exceedingly rapid reciprocation of the blade longitudinally, which reciprocatory movement is so fast that it amounts almost to a vibration of the blade. The thrust of the peripheral points M on the cam against the cam surfaces 16 is substantially along the longitudinal center line of the blade and it should be noted that the diameter of the blade guiding heads 85 is much less than the diameter of the cam whereby the thrust action of the cam will be practically confined along the line of movement of the blade. This action reduces to a minimum any tendency of the blade to move otherwise than in a straight line. The governor mechanism holds the driven speed of the blade at or below a predetermined maximum rate so that the reciprocatory movement of the blade will be smooth and even. The cover element [4 may be readily detached from the device to permit removal of an old blade and insertion of a new one, while proper adjustment of a blade may be easily accomplished by the guide studs 84.

In Fig. 1 a simple means for supplying lubricant to the operating parts of the device is shown. Preferably, this means comprises a mass I92 of lubricant absorbing material, such as a felt strip wound spirally, located within the cup-shaped clamping member 48. The material when thoroughly saturated with lubricant forms an internal supply of said lubricant which is available to all parts of the mechanism.

If desired, the blade as shown in Fig. 3 may be provided withenlarged slots or apertures I" which in this instance are continuations of the guide slots 81. These slots I03 are for the purpose of assembling the blade with any conventional type of razor blade sharpener.

From the foregoing it will be evident that a novel and improved form of safety razor has been provided which operates with a high degree of efficiency and in which the arrangement of operating parts is exceedingly compact. The parts are capable of being easily assembled and all necessary adjustments may be made without difficulty. In consequence, the device may be economically'manufactured for sale at a relatively low cost.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a safety razor, the combination of a casing, a support for driving gears in said casing, means for holding one end of said support in fixed position, a clamping member positioned within said casing in engagement with the other end of said support, a handle assembly engaging said clamping member to force said clamping member against the support, a. spring motor in said handle including a ratchet, a pawl engageable therewith, and a pivot pin for said pawl arranged to secure said handle assembly and clamping member together.

2. In a safety razor, the combination of a casing, a support having driving gears thereon in said casing, means for holding one end of said support in fixed position, a cup-shaped clamp-- ing member in said casing having the marginal edge of the open end engaging the other end of said support, means for holding the clamping member in operative engagement with said support, and a substantially saturated lubricating material in said clamping member.

3. In a safety razor, the combination of a closed casing having a motor mounted therein, a blade driving means arranged forengagement with a blade mounted on said casing, power transmitting means intermediate and operatively connecting said motor and said blade driving means, and lubricant supplying means carried in said casing and arranged to supply lubricant to said motor and power transmitting means.

4. In a safety razor, the combination of a casing having a blade supporting head connected with one end thereof so that an internal shoulder is formed, a plate within the casing in abutment with the shoulder, a second plate in the casing, a resilient arcuate spacing member fitting snugly within the casing in interposed relation to said plates and sprung into engagement therewith for maintaining the plates in spaced relation, gear shafts extending between said plates and journaled therein, an interengaging gear train on said shafts, and means connected with said second plate for maintaining assembly of the parts within the casing.

5. In a safety razor, the combination of 1:. casing having a blade supporting head thereon and a bearing plate fixed therein, blade driving means including a shaft journaled in said head and plate, and means for driving said power transmitting shaft including a power transmitting gear train having shafts joumaled in part in said plate, a governor device mounted on the blade driving shaft for independent movement relative thereto, and having a driving connection with said gear train.

6. In a safety razor, the combination of a casing having a hollow head thereon providing a blade support, a shaft for driving a blade rotatably mounted in the head, means for driving the shaft, and a governor device mounted on said shaft for rotation relative thereto and operatively connected with said means for driving the shaft.

7. The combination in a safety razor of a hollow casing having a blade support thereon, a blade driving shaft in said casing, driving means for said shaft, a rotatable member journaled on said shaft for relative rotation and connected with said driving means independently of said shaft, centrifugal weights on said rotatable memher at diametrically opposed points and operable when said rotatable member operates in excess of a given speed to move into frictional engagement with the wall of said casing, resilient means extending between opposed weights to maintain a balanced condition thereof, and adjustable means arranged to engage an intermediate portion of said resilient means for varying the exerted tension of said resilient means.

8. In a safety razor, the combination of a head having a blade supporting bed thereon, a blade on said bed, driven means on said head engageable with said blade and operable rapidly to reciprocate the blade, means for holding the blade on said bed, and means for adjusting the'position of said blade toward or away from said bed.

9. In a safety razor, the combination of a head having a blade supporting bed thereon, a blade on said bed, means on said head engageable with said blade and operable rapidly to reciprocate the blade, means for holding the blade on said bed, and blade adjusting means including tapered heads adjustable through the surface of said bed, said blade having apertures therein for receiving said tapered heads whereby adjustment of said means effects a varying engagement of the tapered heads with the blade to regulate the operative action of said blade. 10. In a safety razor, the combination of a casing, blade actuating means carried at one end of the casing, power delivering means at the other end of the casing, and power transmitting means intermediate said blade actuating means and said power delivering means including a rotating drive shaft, an internal ring gear rigid with said shaft,, a pinion having meshed engagement with said ring gear, and a bearing plate fixed with respect to said casing and having bearings for said rotat; ing drive shaft and said pinion whereby the properly spaced relationship and meshed engagement between said internal ring gear and said pinion is definitely determined and maintained.

11. The combination in a safety razor of a hollow casing having a blade support thereon,

- a blade driving shaft in said casing, driving means for said shaft, a rotatable member journaled on said shaft for relative rotation and connected with said driving means for movement independently of the rotation of said shaft, centrifugal weights on said rotatable member at diametrically opposed points and operable when said rotatable member operates in excess of a given speed to move into frictional engagement with the wall of said casing, and resilient means extending between opposed weights to maintain a balanced condition thereof.

12. The combination in a safety razor of a blade support, a blade driving shaft having a driving connection with a blade on said support, drivin means for said shaft, a governor device journaled for rotation independently of said blade driving shaft, and means for driving said governor device from said blade driving shaft at an increased rate of speed.

13. In a safety razor, the combination of a blade supporting bed, a blade on said bed, driven means engaging said blade and operable rapidly to reciprocate said blade, and means for adjusting I the position of said blade toward or away from said bed including guide means engaging said blade and adjustable in a direction substantially perpendicular to said bed.

14. In a safety razor, the combination of a blade supporting bed, a blade on said bed; driven means engaging said blade and operable rapidly to reciprocate said blade, and means for adjust-' ing the position of said blade toward or away from said bed including interengaging guide means on said blade and bed for guiding the reciprocating movements of said blade, and means for adjusting the position of the guide means on said bed relative thereto.

RUSSELL P. HARSHBERGER. 

